Are there myths to debunk about hair transplants? Hair transplantation is one of the most requested and used cosmetic surgery procedures. The percentages are very high, especially by men. There are still so many myths circulating on the web. This leads many people to have misconceptions regarding this procedure. There are several myths to debunk about hair transplantation. Often relying on rumors or information on the web is not the best solution. Whatever the doubts or uncertainties concerning transplantation it is always better to inform yourself responsibly. You should always ask your doctor for information or authoritative sources on the subject. An uninformed patient with unrealistic hair transplant expectations will surely be disappointed. Hair transplantation is an operation in which procedure, results and post-operative advice are tailored to the patient. This means that only a doctor can give personalized and correct information to the patient. In this article we will analyze the 12 myths to debunk about hair transplantation.

What are the myths to debunk about hair transplants?  

Before undergoing hair transplants, the patient searches for information where he can, often on the internet or by relying on the advice of friends, people who have already been transplanted. Often, however, the information received is incorrect and the dissemination of this information leads to the creation of false myths to debunk about hair transplants. In some cases, patients may have erroneous self-transplant expectations that can lead to future disappointments. 

The patient should always inform himself before the transplant and discuss his case in depth with the doctor. Not only is each patient a case in itself with different characteristics but the patient will certainly know what to do, what not to do and what to expect.

List of 10 myths to debunk about hair transplantation: 

1. It lasts a day and the results are immediate

2. It is always the ideal solution

3. Get back to thick hair

4. Women cannot undergo hair transplantation

5. It is extremely painful

6. The transplanted hair does not grow back

7. The transplanted hair does not appear natural

8. You should be completely bald before surgery

9. We should do it as young people

10. Hair transplantation leaves scars

The transplant lasts a day and the results are immediate  

When we talk about hair transplantation we need to distinguish between surgery and the operative phase. The procedure lasts around 6 hours but the post-operative phase covers the following 12 months. In reality, when leaving the clinic, there will be no long and perfect hair but you are completely shaved. The post hair transplant process is a fairly long process and requires patience. To obtain the complete results, therefore the complete growth of the transplanted hair, it is necessary to wait around 12 months; only after this period will it be possible to notice a complete growth and the return to the original texture of the hair. In the following months, however, the first results can be seen starting from the third month with the first growth of the hair. In the first months however, the hair will be fine and thin with a different texture, usually curly and with different directions. In the twelfth month, the hair will return to be exactly like those in the donor area. 

Transplantation is always the ideal solution. 

Hair transplants are not always the ideal solution; there are indeed guidelines for determining whether the person is an ideal candidate or not. The doctor will analyze the type of hair loss, the condition of baldness, medical history and other factors. This will help determine if the patient is a good hair transplant candidate. If the procedure was carried out even though it was not a good candidate, there could be little or bad results. 

Hair transplantation returns to thick hair  

The period of adolescence is when the hair is thickest and most numerous throughout life . It is not fair to think that hair transplantation can turn a completely bald area into an area with extremely thick hair. Each case must be considered individually and each person is a special case. Generally speaking, we cannot return to the adolescent aspect. This does not mean, however, that transplantation will not have an extremely satisfying and natural result. 

However, before analyzing the donor area, it will not be possible to outline a final result in the case of a transplant. Only the doctor will be able to indicate to the patient which results will be obtainable. Before consulting with the doctor it will be impossible to understand what the results will be that the donor area, the area of the neck, allows.

Women cannot undergo hair transplantation 

This is also a myth to debunk about hair transplantation. Women are ideal candidates more rarely than men. This is due to the type of non-localized hair loss that usually occurs in women. 

The woman suffering from alopecia female androgenetic tend to lose hair in volume and quantity throughout the head, not in specific areas. It must be specified that if the loss of hair in a woman is localized and with a good donor area in the nape of the neck, it will be possible to have a transplant with excellent results. In the event that a woman has lost hair in a specific area due to trauma or burn, the transplant would be possible, always in case hair remains to be used for transplantation.

Hair transplantation is extremely painful  

It is often thought that hair transplantation is a painful operation. and this is one of the myths to debunk about hair transplantation. Hair transplantation is performed after local anesthesia has been administered to the patient. This makes it painless. Both during surgery and in the healing phase, patients have usually only noticed a feeling of discomfort or soreness, rarely pain. 

Furthermore, it must be considered that the pain threshold is highly subjective and no patient has an experience similar to another. The only pain perceived by the patient is injection of anesthesia.

This pain, however, is minimized with the use of the jet injector, which inserts a pre-anesthesia without the use of needles. Another method for patients suffering from fear of needles is sedation before anesthesia. This will make the patients sleep for as long as the anesthesia is done, about 15 minutes. In the post-operative period, moreover, the patient will be prescribed painkillers to avoid any kind of pain. It is recommended to carefully follow the medicinal therapies recommended by the doctor.

The transplanted hair does not grow back  

One of the biggest myths about hair transplantation is hair growth. It is often thought that transplanted hair will remain the same length forever and will not grow. The hair transplant is an operation of its own success because it is a transplant; the bulbs inserted in the scalp are taken by the same patient. Once inserted the bulbs behave normally: the growth begins at the beginning with fine and thin hair and over time these become stronger and double. The hair growth will continue, and you can cut them, raise them, and do all that is possible with the non-transplanted hair. Dispelling this myth, it can be said that the patients' hair grows back and the results can be seen already in the first post-surgery year. 

The transplanted hair does not appear natural  

Another myth to debunk about hair transplantation is what concerns the appearance of transplanted hair. It is thought, in fact, that long hair is inserted into the scalp and that it grows vertically making the result unnatural and unaesthetic visually. This is absolutely untrue: a competent doctor will know very well how to position the follicles, following the natural angle of the hair and making the result extremely natural. A successful hair transplant will be impossible to notice and the patient will keep it a secret. 

The transplant leaves visible scars

In the 90s until the beginning of the '00s, the most used technique for hair transplantation was the FUT. One of the biggest problems of hair transplantation with the FUT technique, Follicular Unit Transplantation, was the scar in the donor area after the transplant.

Removing an entire strip of skin and hair left a large scar. The results in the donor area were unsightly and visible. The major advantage of switching to the FUE technique, Follicular Unit Extraction, was the absence of these scars. The collection of follicular units in this type of transplant is done by opening small channels and taking the hair bulbs in groups of 1 to 5 units and the part of the surrounding dermis. Following the FUE operation, there will be some tiny scars of about 1 mm that will be covered by the surrounding hair and will, therefore, be invisible. Aesthetically these resemble microscopic white balls. In the first month of the transplant, these will be visible but later they will be hidden naturally. It will be easy to hide them, in fact, it will be enough to make the hair grow a few millimeters so that these are covered and hidden. One of the myths to debunk about hair transplantation and more specifically about the FUE technique is precisely that of scars. 

You should be completely bald before surgery  

This myth is among the most common and is a myth to debunk about hair transplants because it could be dangerous for a patient. A patient who is expecting complete baldness before undergoing surgery will find that completely bald people can in no way undergo surgery. 

Hair transplantation is extremely painful

It is often thought that hair transplantation is a painful operation. and this is one of the myths to debunk about hair transplantation. Hair transplantation is performed after local anesthesia has been administered to the patient. This makes it painless. Both during surgery and in the healing phase, patients have usually only noticed a feeling of discomfort or soreness, rarely pain. .......

Hair transplantation is an auto graft so the hair is taken from the patient himself, from the nape area. In the absence of hair there are no more bulbs to be taken from the donor side and transplanted into the receiving part. The ideal candidate, in fact, still has a good amount of hair in the back and has baldness in the front and top.

We should undergo transplantation when we are very young 

  Any professional physician who is simply not interested in making money will not carry out a hair transplant on people who are not at least 22 years old. The reason is simple: before this time the baldness is still developing and has not yet defined a pattern. If you were to undergo this operation before the recommended age, you could suffer from a severe hair loss in later years and you should undergo the procedure again. A good doctor will be able to analyze the process of hair loss and advice or not to postpone hair transplantation. 

The transplant lasts a day and the results are immediate

When we talk about hair transplantation we need to distinguish between surgery and the operative phase. The procedure lasts around 6 hours but the post-operative phase covers the following 12 months. In reality, when leaving the clinic, there will be no long and perfect hair but you are completely shaved. The post hair transplant process is a fairly long process and requires patience. To obtain the complete results, therefore the complete growth of the transplanted hair, it is necessary to wait around 12 months; only after this period will it be possible to notice a complete growth and the return to the original texture of the hair. In the following months, however, the first results can be seen starting from the third month with the first growth of the hair. In the first months however, the hair will be fine and thin with a different texture, usually curly and with different directions. In the twelfth month, the hair will return to be exactly like those in the donor area. 

You need to shave before transplanting  

One of the patients' concerns before hair transplantation is shaving. For these patients, shaving is often a problem and they do not want to give up long hair that has not been affected by alopecia. A myth to debunk about hair transplantation is precisely this: it is always necessary to shave before surgery. A new invention in the field of transplants is the DHI (Direct Hair Implantation) technique or direct hair transplant; in this technique the hair is not cut and is picked individually and grafted directly; then the doctor will take a hair and implant it directly in the receiving area. However, the disadvantage of this technique is the number of follicular units. In fact, this number is reduced by 40%, making DHI possible only for small areas............. 

For example, in the case of covering receding or small areas this is an ideal solution. In the case of areas affected by larger baldness, often called mega-sessions, it will not be possible to use this technique.

The transplant leaves visible scars  

In the 90s until the beginning of the '00s, the most used technique for hair transplantation was the FUT. One of the biggest problems of hair transplantation with the FUT technique, Follicular Unit Transplantation, was the scar in the donor area after the transplant...........

Removing an entire strip of skin and hair left a large scar. The results in the donor area were unsightly and visible. The major advantage of switching to the FUE technique, Follicular Unit Extraction, was the absence of these scars. The collection of follicular units in this type of transplant is done by opening small channels and taking the hair bulbs in groups of 1 to 5 units and the part of the surrounding dermis. Following the FUE operation, there will be some tiny scars of about 1 mm that will be covered by the surrounding hair and will, therefore, be invisible. Aesthetically these resemble microscopic white balls. In the first month of the transplant, these will be visible but later they will be hidden naturally. It will be easy to hide them, in fact, it will be enough to make the hair grow a few millimeters so that these are covered and hidden. One of the myths to debunk about hair transplantation and more specifically about the FUE technique is precisely that of scars.

Summary 

There are many myths to debunk about hair transplantation and often lead to disappointment in the patient. In this article some of these myths have been treated to dispel hair transplants. 

The patient is always reminded to speak with his doctor. Only a doctor who specializes in hair transplantation will be able to provide correct and personalized information based on the patient.

Each individual case must be analyzed differently and leads to different results, therapies, and advice. It is advisable never to trust unskilled or mild people to dispel hair transplants. An informed patient will surely be a satisfied patient.

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